Due to the recent U.S government shutdown, some 9 million moms and babies are at risk of losing WIC, a supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children. This comes as a big blow for the families who have come to rely on this program to feed their families. Some offices say they have “about a week” to continue WIC operations. Plans to shut down offices will come as early as the end of October.

Douglas Greenaway, the president of the National WIC Association, a D.C. based nonprofit, said, “There are health consequences when mothers cannot provide food and nutrition for their kids.” WIC supplies food, formula, nutritional education, breast-feeding support, and health-care referrals to low-income, pregnant women. If the government puts a halt on WIC, what will become of all the women who rely on baby formula to feed their infants? What about the milk, cereal, eggs and cheese that help fill the gaps in their grocery budget?

It’s a scary place to be, depending on the government for support. The economy has gotten so precarious that there are many families–hard working families–who find themselves seeking some sort of help. We often don’t consider the fact that our government might not be in the position to help us.

When I was a young mom of three little boys under the age of three, I would wake up early, get them fed and bundled up warmly so we could make the trek to the local WIC office. Once I got past the thought of taking the paper vouchers into the grocery store and up to the register, I began to rely on them to help feed my little family.

One thing I really learned to appreciate about WIC were the parenting classes for new moms. They taught us about everything from breastfeeding positions to the foods you should avoid feeding your baby (popcorn, grapes and hot dogs, for example). The WIC office did a great deal to educate new parents who were clueless about caring for an infant. Their help was invaluable.

I really hope that the government shutdown resolves itself shortly. There are so many families being affected by the prospect of losing vital foodstuffs and nutrition for their families.

Do you benefit from WIC? Will the government shutdown affect your family in some way?

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I am new to this website and I am wanting to post a picture of my pregnancy test so I can get other moms opinions but I dont know how to or were to go to blog. Could u possibly help me out??

http://lubovkzhizn.blogspot.com Mama Russia

Wic is a joke after a certain age. It really needs to be revamped. I know so many families that get Wic but the amount they get is too much and give it to other families. What they should really do is have a card like food stamps and when they buy it that is when it comes off otherwise it should go back in the system. Most of the food after a certain age is not really helpful unless you have a lot of kids.

Jeanine

I currently have WIC. It definitely helps when I have no other way to buy food. Wile I don’t use it for formula I know many people who do. I can’t imagine being one of those moms that suddenly have to figure out how to come up with the extra money to cover. Is formula covered on Food stamps? Will that be affected? If that gets cut then I’ll have a much smaller food budget. We will get by but it will be on the bear necessities.

Kelly

Formula is allowed to be purchased with Foodstamp Benefits. But the reality of the situation is, if parents have to resort to purchasing all of that formula that their baby needs with their Foodstamp Benefits, it will drastically make their benefits dwindle down so then you are left with little to no food for the rest of the family! Of course, the needs of the baby are far more important, but it’s all going to be a very vicious cycle!

Julius

I agree with Mama Russia that the benefit program should be reviewed for waste. All programs need to be cut in some way or we’ll soon be in a hole we can’t get out of.

However, the House has passed a bill specific to WIC to continue WIC benefits. The Senate is refusing to take up the bill.

Sandra

I’m a big fan of cuts, but not regarding WIC. I have been wowed by how great the program is, how hard they work to promote breastfeeding, healthy parenting, education. My mom worked and volunteered for WIC while I was a very young girl, and, primarily because of her encouragement, I had my first baby using WIC while I was in graduate school (I also feel the need to state that DH is in lawschool, and we will be paying hella taxes the rest of our lives, I assure you). I was fortunate to be one of the more educated users of the service, and I also volunteered there teaching breastfeeding support classes, but I was amazed by how much I learned. I think WIC is doing a phenomenal job and I hope nothing happens to that program. I was very impressed with the young families using it. Many were in school, like me.

NurseWindsor

Um… WIC? When my husband and I divorced, I woked full time, went to school at night, and took care of 1/2 my son’s needs (monetary needs) with child support.

What is the problem here? Taxpayers have their own little precious children to support.

Mom’s — get a job? Dad’s pay half the support! What is the problem, and why is this a taxpayers responsibility?

NurseWindsor

I went to work from 8-5, then school 6-9pm three nights a week for two years. My son lived with me. I worked and got child support. I didn’t run to taxpayers for their money to become a drain on the budget.

I worked, took care of my son, and held his father 50% accountable. Why is it these women feel they have to be taken care of by taxpayers? You just continue sexism. Most men, and most taxpayers feel disgusted by you as americans for sucking off the system. Get a job..Daddy gets a job, and you pay for your own kid just like all of us do… Get over your whiny self, and get strong.

http://expatcatlife.blogspot.com Jules

@ Nurse Windsor: That’s great that you could get your child’s father to pay up. Why don’t you go scold the 40% of divorced dads that don’t pony up for their share of child care? (A quick scan of the Internet says that number is anywhere from 25-40%, depending on the state) Poverty and welfare are more complicated than “just get a job”.

@ Julius: House Republicans keep trying to link “concessions” with defunding a law that’s been passed and upheld; which side you take on the issue depends largely on your own personal politics, of course. But I do agree with you that benefit programs really need to be reassessed every 5 years or so and revamped to minimize waste and, yes, to encourage financial independence.

Shametria

Nurse Windsor, I agree with you about why taxpayers have to take care of women who are fully capable of going out to get a job. WIC is not just for non working mothers! If you have a job you can receive it also, and you have to be mindful of the fact that all women are not as fortunate as you to have a man pay child support to help support they’re child or children. This program I approve of because it helps out extremely when mother’s don’t have $214 every month to buy cans of milk more if you have a premie or a baby sensitive to milk. I’m a college graduate working mother of two a 4 month and 3 yr old with a working fiancé and WIC helps me out not all of us are sitting at home using the government, even tho if they’re taking taxes out my check for it if I’m able to get it I can use it.

selmia

we have wic for our family, and i work full time. and my childrens father pays child support. however, it is not always enough to put food on the table. between rent, untilites and all the other bills that tend to add up, there have been weeks of our lives wic has been the only food we have had. while true, there are times of “surplus” in which we may not need all of the milk, or beans or whatever else we get, it doesnt mean those things go to waste either. even if i give my sister or neighbor or whomever i want a gallon of milk or bag of beans, we are helping to support each other. they may need it worse than i do at that time. so what i ask is why the hate? dont you think that most of the hard working mothers HATE depending on “HELP” as much as anyone? i cried for the first month when i redeemed my vouchers. With few exceptions i get treated like TRASH when i have to go into a govenment office. I WORK FULL TIME, AND OVER TIME WHEN I CAN GET IT. as well as raising 3 children by myself. yes, there are ppl out there who take advantage, but not EVERYONE does.

Jen

I don’t get the hate either..is it jealousy or something? We as a nation should WANT to take care of the needy and esp children. Don’t get it at all. SMH

Annie

I worked full time and the last of 4 daughters is graduating high school this year. WIC helped tremendously because I did it with o support of the father. I had no other assistance, No foodstamps or checks. My daughters grew up without all the bells and whistles but they had a roof, clothes and food. WIC really needs to stay in place, because not all of us had the support like NurseWindsor.

frustratedmom

I’m so frustrated. My husband and I are furloughed employees. Don’t know how we’re going to make it. Irony of it all is….programs made for temporary assistance won’t even help us. *sigh*

carrine

I hope that this shutdown ends very soon! I work at a church where we offer a food bank every week and we’re extremely worried that we won’t have enough food to help everyone in need when WIC runs dry. Also, what about foodstamps? will that be affected by the shutdown?

Ali

I work as a nutritionist for WIC and would just like to inform you all that our clients do not receive “too much” of anything. They either receive the recommend amount of a product for that child each month (like 16 oz milk/day) or they receive a lot less then they need (like $6 for fruits and vegetables for a month). We end up saving the government money by reducing the number of infants born premature because the pregnant mother has the education to know to eat a healthier diet and has the tools needed to do this. I could go on and on as to why this program is an amazing part of the community and how it educates parents on how to raise healthy children which helps to decrease childhood obesity. WIC is an evidence based program that is essential for the community.

Kat

i love how women make so many excuses to justify why they are on WIC guess what my boyfriend didnt pony up any money either and i didnt use WIC. seriously if you cant afford children then keep your pants on. people like you are a part of the reason why this country is in such a debt. Stop relying on every one else and rely on yourself.

mommystar

Breastfeeding- free, couponing to get free groceries, cloth diapering- cheaper than disposable, budgeting, saving, and bartering, buying used clothing instead of new. There are other ways to cut down your spending. Most of the people I know who are on WIC and food stamps spend so much $$ on fake nails, cigarettes, pot, booze, tattoos, new name brand clothing from malls, etc.
Wants not needs. I see people in line behind me buying all junk food, soda, chips, processed food with their bridge cards so not smart spending either.

Teach people how to coupon, garden,how to save money, how to spend wisely, and not waste money.

Sari

When did we as a nation get so mean?

Julius

Jules. Just to clarify the House passed a stand alone bill to fund WIC. No concessions were required for that.

Mia

NurseWindsor,

I totally agree with you. My husband and I both full time parents. When our baby was born I only took of one month out of work because I did not wanted to depend on anybody to help me support a child that we decided to have. I am sorry but if are deciding to have a child it’s your responsibility to take care of it not expect other taxpayers to do YOUR job !! And if you can’t afford a child do yourself and others a favor and simply don’t have it.

Teri T

The most waste in the US occurrs among wealthy people, whom the lower classes fear to scrutinize as closely as they do the poor who are meeting the very basic nutritional needs of their families. I think its because the US mainstream has been taught that poor and marginal people are safe targets, while the spending of the rich is off limits for discussion. Whatever the case may be, early childhood nutrition should not be an issue in a country which claims to be the world’s wealthiest. Children who have not been deprived of nutrients in early life stand a better chance of becoming competent adults able to function their best in reaching their full human potential.Sad how Americans have forgotten that once this was promoted as a national goal for every American child.

dee

Thankfully I’m working and my kids are older I don’t need WIC. However when I had my first I got let go from a shrinking call center two days before my due date. I had planned to take maternity leave for a little while from there and then return to work. I went for unemployment and they said they wouldn’t consider me because really I couldn’t work anyway if I was about to pop with a baby and then a doctor doesn’t usually sign you back for six weeks so during that six weeks they wouldn’t consider me for unemployment benefits since I wouldn’t have been able to work in their opinion anyway. I went to WIC and it was helpful but I would agree with it needing revamped. I don’t know how they do it now but then they gave you your little coupon printouts all for specifics like milk, cheese, a box of cereal that had to be one of few certain kinds like cheerios, and they always gave me a coupon for a jar of peanut butter. I eat no kinds of nuts or nut butter. Of course I was young and just said thank you for the coupons when I went in I always thought what the hell am I going to do with peanut butter? I hate peanut butter.

A species that kills or neglects its young goes extinct. Think about it.

Jess

For MIA, KAT, and NURSEWINDSOR

I’m sorry but you guys are soooo incorrect about WIC! It is very helpful to those in need. I am a married mother of 3- an almost 4 yr old girl and 2 yr old twin boys…..so I can have kids if I want! I am entitled to starting a family. My husband is in the military and I am a full time student. I’ve held a job since my teens plus was in the Naval reserve but when we moved to another state and my husband was deployed to Afghanistan, I was in no position to go to work. I had a high risk pregnancy with my twins and needed to go to multiple appointments. So FYI, some of us mothers do/did have jobs! Furthermore, my daughter has always been really skinny with her weight being around 3% on the growth chart so she was considered Failure to Thrive (FTT) and prescribed pediasure which is very expensive. WIC helped pay for that. My twins are also considered FTT (below 1% weight percentile) and are being threatened with a g -tube just to get the calories they need in them. Thankfully WIC pays for their very expensive medical nutritional supplements which has helped them to gain weight. So WIC does not just help to supplement food but also helps pay for medically necessary nutritional supplements which are too expensive to afford. We’d be paying close to $1000 a month for all of their nutritional supplies. So WIC is a life saver and does a fantastic job at educating and helping women in need. So please, before you bash those on WIC, go educate yourselves!

marta

What is wrong with you people! I too am sick of people sitting at home sucking up resources, but there is the other side of the coin-people who work hard and still can’t make it around. Which is most people. Everything has gone up over the last 220 years, except the minimum wage! Ans WIC is not foodstamps or welfare. It is available to people with a higher income than either of those programs. Because formula and nutritious food is so expensive the program was designed to fill the gap. It is funded out of my tax dollars and I am happy to pay for it. I was not happy when my son wouldn’t let my daughter-in-law sign up for it-they could have used it. HE picked up extra jobs to cover food costs, but my feeling is that he shouldn’t have had to, his tax dollars were paying for it. It was designed to provide the nutrition that mothers and children needed to thrive-would you rather pay for remedial care later on or give them a good start give them a better chance at life. The only thing that would make this program better is if they made it a local food program-that would keep the cost down and encourage locally grown foods being used-they have already done this in a small way by providing vouchers for fruit and vegetables at farmer’s markets. Leave this program alone, it is one of the few really beneficial ones out there!

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